Wilting Blossoms
by Tremalkinger
Summary: [INCOMPLETE] What if Sasuke took up Sakura on her offer to come with him as he abandons Konoha? Shikamaru, Neji, Naruto and Hinata head off to retrieve them both. SasuSaku NaruHina
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is an AR fic (alternate reality, for the uninitiated). The idea is to take an important point in the original canon and have someone make an alternate choice, then explore how that affects the series as the writing progresses. The story begins at the outset of the Sasuke Retrieval arc, and I think the point of divergence from canon is at the beginning of the second chapter. Pairings are SasuSaku and NaruHina.

Enjoy, and then review if you'd like.

-----

He had changed clothes since she last saw him back at the hospital, back into the attire that he used on missions: the blue high colored shirt which suited his hair so well, the loose fitting shorts, leg wrappings and open-toed sandals. There was a recent addition, a canvas pack he had slung on his back, and it afforded a person like him more than enough storage space to put his entire life into. A life without Konoha… without her.

He walked slowly but purposefully, his eyes watching nothing but the cobblestone path a few feet in front of him. As he approached, he sensed her presence. She was standing in the middle of the road with her eyes downcast timidly. His gaze flicked over her for a short moment, then went back to the road in front of him. "What are you doing out here so late at night? Just out for a stroll?"

Sakura knew that he did that all the time… ask a question in that mocking, cold voice of his, neither listening for nor caring about the answer. He did it in battle to distract his enemies while he thought of a strategy for defeating them. Her lip trembled as she thought, realizing his mindset: she was a distraction to his mission. The mission to leave Konoha. If Sasuke was determined, there wasn't much she could do to stop him… or to save him. She tried to keep her resolve. "In order to leave the village, you have to take this road."

He waited a beat before replying, his slow, casual pace never breaking. "Go home and sleep." His path veered gently to bypass her.

She didn't even bother turning as he walked past, her eyes fixated on the nothingness in front of her. "Why?" she asked in a quavering voice, as a single glistening tear ran its course down the contours of her cheek. She swallowed with some difficulty and turned to face his slowly receding figure. "Why don't you say anything to me? Why do you shut everyone out? Why won't you tell me…"

"Why do I have to tell you?" He cut her off angrily. His walking paused, though he refused to turn back to look at her as he spoke. "I'm telling you that you meddle too much. Stop bothering me all the time."

The tears ran freely down her cheeks from both eyes freely. "You always act like you hate me, Sasuke-kun." She said it kindly. Her eyes traced over the stone bench in front of her, letting her mind wander over memories. "Do you remember? When we became genin? The day the three-man teams were decided, and we were alone at this very spot." She had been so happy that day, after getting chosen to be on the same team as Sasuke, getting a chance that all her rivals for his heart had burned with jealously over. It had come crashing down during their first real conversation, when she had realized how hard it was going to be to get him to return her feelings. She had liked him for so long… it hadn't seemed so impossible to win his heart back then, back when he simply wasn't close to anyone. Now that she had been on his team for so long… she knew the truth. He _couldn't_ be close to anyone. He didn't have it in him. "You were very angry with me, weren't you?"

"I don't remember." came the curt reply.

She gasped for a short moment, then looked down. Somehow, him not even remembering getting mad at her was even worse than the anger itself. At least in his moment of anger, he had acknowledged her existence. She managed a choked laugh. "That's right… it was a long time ago." True, a lot had happened… but he had always been on the forefront of her mind. But, it was not mutual. She knew exactly what had always been on the forefront of his mind. His older brother haunted him day and night… and there was nothing she could do. She tried desperately to get him to remember the good times they had shared. "But it started on that day. You and I… and Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. The four of us have done a lot of missions together. It was difficult… and it was awful. But… even so…" The warm tears ran off her chin and dripped to the moonlit stone. "It was fun." She waited for a response, the inevitable retort that would crush her hopes, but he only stood there with his back to her silently, stoically. She took a breath, trying to think rationally. "I know what happened to your clan." She took another breath, steeling herself in case he lashed out at her. "But… with revenge alone, you'll never be able to make anyone happy." Her breath caught in her chest as she realized what she was going to say. "No one… neither yourself… nor me."

"I know that." He replied quietly. "I am different from you. I follow a different path than you guys." He shifted uneasily. "The four of us together, it's true that I've thought of that as one path. But despite that, my heart has chosen revenge. I live for that purpose. I can't be like you or Naruto."

"Aren't you going to be lonely by yourself?" She said quickly, trying to get out her emotions before he tired of talking with her and left, and before her own resolve faltered. "Sasuke-kun, you told me that being alone is painful! I know that very well, so much that it hurts! I have family and friends. But… if you leave… for me, its the same as being alone!"

"From this point forward, new paths will start." He said calmly.

She took a step forward, yelling in a blind rush before she could think and stop herself. "I love you more than anything! If you're by my side, I will make sure that you do not regret it. I'll make each day more enjoyable… and you'll be happy. I would do anything for you!" Her hands clasped together over her chest. "That's why… I beg you. Please… stay here." Her panic-driven confession came to a stumbling halt, but there hadn't been an explosion from Sasuke yet. Was he actually listening to her? "I'll even help you with your revenge." What help she could be, when it seemed like all she was doing was watching everyone else surpass her, she didn't know. "There must be something that I can do. That's why… please, stay here… with me." He still stood with his back to her, motionless. Somehow, the next sentence was even harder for her to get out. "Or if that's not possible… please… take me with you."

-----


	2. Chapter 2

Her pink hair flew in the wind, and warm tears stained her cheeks. "I'll even help you with your revenge! There must be something that I can do. That's why… please, stay here… with me." He still stood with his back to her, motionless. No response. Her final option left… "Or if that's not possible… please… take me with you." The words echoed in her ears as she said them, realizing what they meant. To abandon her life as a ninja… to abandon everyone… all for a boy who she loved but did not love her back.

He turned back to her slowly his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "You mean that?"

She nodded her head fervently, realizing that she was getting through to him. She would save him… save him from himself. "Yes, Sasuke-kun. I don't have any of my things packed but…"

She heard a whooshing noise, and to her eyes he disappeared. He could move as fast as Lee-kun for short bursts, she knew. His breath fell lightly on the nape of her neck, standing a few inches behind her. She choked back a gasp, standing paralyzed. "Sakura…" His voice trailed off, and the hesitation in his voice was the longest wait she had ever experienced. "Thank you." With that simple enunciation, he softly struck a pressure point in her back with his thumb. She felt her legs go weak and the world grow dark as he caught her falling body in his arms.

-----

She woke slowly. The soil beneath her was soft, and not terribly uncomfortable, but it was definitely not her own bed. And the tree canopy above her, with waning sunlight glinting through gaps in the foliage cover, was definitely not the ceiling in her bedroom. Dare she hope? She looked around her with bated breath. Sasuke's face, complete with an angelic serenity found only in deep slumber replacing his usual sneers, lay in the dirt next to hers. His breath fell slowly and regularly, his face was smudged with mud. She sat up, feeling dizzy, and looked him over for wounds. Nothing obvious, though his clothes were torn in a few places and looked like they had been soaked with sweat. She lay on her back quietly, thinking. He must have carried her as he fled the village, traveling quickly by tree branches. She didn't recognize where they were, but it was nearly dusk judging by the sun, and Sasuke could travel fast even carrying her. So they could be nearly anywhere…

She felt a lump in her throat form. She had left home, without saying goodbye to Naruto, any of her friends, her sensei, her parents. They were officially enlisted genin, bound to the Hokage and Konoha Village, required to take and complete missions. By leaving without permission, they were branded Missing Nin… traitors. She forced down her terror… the rational part of her mind going over the last reports she had read about Konoha's forces. They were spread so thin that teams of genin were being assigned to difficult missions. Would Tsunade-sama have ninja to spare to send out after them? In her heart, she knew the answer. No one knew if they had been kidnapped, or left on their own accord. Konoha never abandon them or forget about their disappearance. Hunter Nin would be dispatched to track down the pair of them… and Sasuke would fight them until the end.

She mumbled to herself quietly. "If I think too much now, I'm going to have to decide if this was a wonderful decision or the most monumental mistake of my life. I don't think I'm ready to face that answer just yet." The pink haired kunoichi drew in a deep breath, trying to distract herself. Nearly three quarters of a day had passed, she reasoned, and for a good portion of that Sasuke had been running at high speed bearing her weight. He would probably be very hungry when he woke, and she wanted to make him breakfast. She had no supplies of her own, but it was time to find out what Sasuke had brought in his pack. She shuffled through it tenderly… mostly extra kunai and shuriken on the top. She found the flint and tinder, started a fire with practiced ease, then pulled out the single amenity for cooking Sasuke had deemed fit to pack: a small pan.

Examining her surroundings closely, she studied the nearly invisible wire traps Sasuke had put up before passing out. She bypassed them carefully and hunted around, managing to find enough eggs to make a decent meal for the two of them. As she returned, she noted the sun's level. "Only an hour of daylight left…" She began cooking the eggs with a small sigh. "I should probably get some meat… but I'm terrible at hunting." As the eggs cooked, she shuffled through the pack to look for spices. Not finding any and quickly becoming frustrated, she dug to the bottom before her fingers hit an old scroll, as wide as the width of the pack and taking up nearly the bottom quarter of the pack. Her pondering came to a halt as small noises emanating from Sasuke reached her ears. Her attention snapped over to him and she crawled near him. His breath was labored, his expression morphing between terror and anger. Her expression creased in worry, trying to find a way to comfort him. "Sa… Sasuke-kun." She gently took ahold of his shoulder and tried to hug him.

In a flash, he struck her hard in the chest, knocking her back and nearly onto the makeshift fire pit. He landed crouched over her, his black kunai gleaming in his grasp, screaming down for blood. It halted a razor's width away from her neck, his expression, a twisted visage of hatred, looming over her. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest, and two long breaths went by before Sasuke's expression broke into his normal demeanor when he was with her… a sort of patronizing disgruntlement. She loathed that face. Inner Sakura called to her from deep inside her mind, screaming for her to retaliate, but she pushed the voice away. He glanced off to the side, quickly slipping his kunai back into his satchel and rolling off her body. "Sorry."

'He doesn't sound very sorry.' Inner Sakura sulked. Sakura threw up her cheerful façade, though it was strained. "No, it was my fault, Sasuke-kun. I shouldn't have startled you like that." She realized how dangerously close that had been. Even if Sasuke's kunai hadn't halted, her body had landed a breadth away from the fire. She sat up, rubbing the spot on her neck where the blade would have fallen if the blow had followed through. "You were dreaming…"

He twisted and looked at her angrily. "I was not."

She looked abashedly at the eggs as they hissed and popped. "Oh." There was a long awkward silence. "Well… I made us breakfast… dinner?"

He shuffled over to the pan, scraping half of the steaming eggs out into the only plate he had packed. He handed it to her wordlessly along with his pair of chopsticks. Brooding, he scooped the rest out of the pan with his fingers and ate. "So I bet you think its pretty funny, don't ya?"

She looked up at him with saddened eyes. "I don't understand."

His eyebrows furrowed. "Don't you think its funny that I still have nightmares about him?" She looks at him wordlessly in shock, her eggs untouched. He ate the meager meal with a ferocity, his eyes gleaming with anger. "If you tell anyone what you saw…"

Sakura's eyes shone with anger of their own. "I wouldn't do that to you, Sasuke-kun. I'm here to help you."

He kicked at the dirt absently. "My life is killing Itachi. It's not your cause to take up."

She bit her lip, her expression determined. "That's my decision to make, Sasuke-kun… not yours. I'll make my own paths."

His eyes darkened. "And you honestly think you can help? To succeed where I've failed? You're not in the same league as me or Itachi, not by a long shot."

His wounds cut deeply into her, but a flash of anger replaced the hurt just as quick as it came. "If you thought that low of me, why did you bring me in the first place?" She instantly regretted the angry tone in her voice. The emotional strain had shortened her already short temper… the aspect of herself that she normally kept buried deep inside herself around Sasuke.

He looked at her measuringly, her reaction uncharacteristically resolute. "Why… why did I bring you?" He looked troubled. The question wasn't rhetorical, and it wasn't directed at her. He sounded as though he really didn't know himself.

Sakura's breath caught in her chest. "Loneliness."

His head snapped up again, but this time without the anger. "Loneliness?"

She looked at the empty pan he was using as a plate, and scooped a portion of hers into the pan for him. She took a bite of her egg and chewed as she considered how to phrase what she wanted to say. "I won't pretend I understand what you feel. But I know that you're going to need someone there for you while you do this."

"I can't afford to have friends, Sakura. Even the danger aside… I need to be ready to throw my life away at a moment's notice if I see a chance to kill my brother. How can…" He trailed off for a moment, looking up into the sunlight cutting through the tree cover. "If I let someone in… let myself really start caring about someone… I might hesitate when my chance comes." She watched his expression, staying quiet. He scowled for a moment, then offered her a wry grin. "Why? Why after everything… everything that I've done to drive you away… why are you still so nice to me?"

She considered him carefully. "Because you… more than anyone else… need a friend." She finished her meal with a kind smile, setting down the plate on their canvas pack, and moved to sit beside Sasuke. She gently wrapped her arms around one of his, snuggling against his shoulder.

He shifted uncomfortably before leaning into her embrace a small bit. "I told you… I don't need anyone."

"Maybe not…" came her distant reply as she watched the fire dance and snap in the evening light. "But now you have someone."

-----

Naruto bounded over to Sakura's residence early in the morning, a lighthearted feeling in him. 'Last night I went on a date with Sakura-chan!' he thought while beaming ecstatically. True… it had gone different than he had thought dates usually went. In fact, it was pretty close to his usual routine of eating ramen, only with a girl next to him. But she said it was a date before they left, and that meant it was. 'A date with Sakura-chan!' he bubbled before finding himself in front of her family's apartment.

Two knocks later, he found himself facing the sleep-deprived face of Sakura's mother.

"Naruto-kun…" she said quickly, her eyes filled with worry. "You were with Sakura last night weren't you?"

"Oh hello Mrs. Haruno." He bowed awkwardly. "Yeah… I just came over to see if she was available this morning."

"She never came back home last night. I think I'm going to notify the Anbu… this just isn't like her."

He felt his happiness evaporate, filled with a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. He had offered to walk her home… but she had talked him out of it. Somehow… somehow he just knew Sasuke was responsible. 'What did that bastard do to her?' He turned and ran, ignoring the cries of Sakura's mother from behind him.

-----

Sasuke's apartment was utterly demolished. Naruto walked around the room cautiously, broken glass crunching underfoot. His first thoughts were that a fight had been fought in the room, but that theory quickly fell apart. There were no discarded weapons, no evidence of any jutsu being used, and no blood anywhere. The more Naruto thought about it, the more it seemed like the damage was inflicted by Sasuke ripping his room apart in anger. He sat down on the bed, his head pounding with knowledge of what this all might mean. He picked up a damaged picture frame which lay resting on the toppled dresser, examining its contents. The picture was of team seven, the same one that rested on his own nightstand. Kakashi smiled as best he could through his mask, Sakura had her hands clasped together and knelt in the front. Sasuke was busy looking angrily at the camera. All that remained of where he knew his own face should be in the picture was a large hole made by a kunai… as if someone had stabbed the picture straight through his face and obliterated him. The hand that held the picture frame trembled with anger. Naruto's voice, an unusual a deep rumble, growled through the room.

"Sasuke… I'll tear you apart."

-----

Sakura flew through the forest with practiced ease, landing on branches for the barest of moments before launching herself into open air again. The sun was rising over the horizon in front of her, which meant they had been traveling for half a day. Her legs burned from exertion, though she knew that Sasuke was keeping an easy pace for her. They would travel east, they decided, towards Water Country. Sasuke told her of a Missing Nin from Water Country who traveled with his brother… a strange man with bluish skin. It was their only lead. They hadn't spoken it aloud, but they both knew that the route also took them nearly directly away from Hidden Sound Village, where Orochimaru was based.

As they had sat next to the cooking fire in awkward physical contact with each other, Sasuke had explained their strategy to her. She was one of the most talented ninjas in the village for detecting chakra, so she would travel behind him masking her presence, and watch for enemies. Hopefully pursuers would detect only him, and she would be able to alert him as they approached. He was putting a lot of trust in her, and she was determined to show him she was deserving.

She was probing the woods for enemies when she felt a blast of chakra ahead of her, strong enough to make her see only white for a moment. She could feel him ahead of her, falling… plummeting through the trees, towards the ground. Acting without thinking, she launched herself downward in a streak, closing the distance between herself and Sasuke, scooping him up as they fell. He was screaming in agony, clawing at his neck. The curse seal on his neck was blazing a searing crimson, crawling across his skin. She didn't have time to make a proper landing, so she rolled while clutching his body to her chest, taking the brunt of the blow to her shoulders and back. As they settled in the leaf-strewn ground, he shook free of her grasp, kneeling with his eyes wide with panic.

"Kakashi's seal…" was all he managed to choke out before another wave of pain ripped through him, doubling him over.

Her mind reeled as she stood frozen. Once again, the responsibility fell to her, and she wasn't able to do anything. She could only watch as Sasuke was in need of her help… and she… she couldn't think. Inner Sakura screamed at her, a scream so deafening it knocked her out of her transfixed inaction. Running to him, she acted without clear thought, her fingers passed through the intricate patterns a sealing jutsu. She grabbed the fabric of his shirt, ripping it halfway down the back, yanking down off his shoulder. She bit her thumb with a wince, using her blood to trace flowing characters, extending from the seal in four directions. He thrashed underneath her, still yelling, and she used her knees to pin him, distantly hearing herself swearing like Inner Sakura normally did inside her mind. Her face was a snarl of frustration and concentration, and she savagely bit her other thumb as her first one stopped bleeding profusely enough to write with. The characters, dredged from a far off memory, extended from the curse to point to his four limbs. With a final shout, she thrust her palm against the seal… and hoped.

-----

Sakura held her fellow Missing Nin in her arms, rocking him back and forth as she softly sang songs and fought back tears. A good quarter of his shirt was missing, torn from the neckline down to below the arm, ripped off while she performed her emergency jutsu. The exposed skin gave clear view of her crude jutsu, which had slowly come into existence as a black circle around the curse seal. Sasuke's face had recently lost the frightening pallor which she had noticed after the sealing, and his skin now had a healthy, pink coloring. She could feel him stirring, and she tensed as his eyes opened. After all… her last experience with him waking up to her being in close proximity hadn't gone well.

He hesitated as he took in his surroundings, and the feelings in his body. "You… you managed to contain the curse?" His voice was raspy, but she could hear faint traces of surprise and admiration too.

She averted her eyes with a blush. "Well… yeah. Not very well but… I read a book on it once."

He rubbed the curse tenderly. "It feels… caged. Barely." He hesitated, realizing perhaps for the first time that her arms were draped around his shoulders. "Um… I'm okay now."

'Is he asking me to let go? Probably…' She started to withdraw her hands, but then decided against it and let them rest where they were. She nuzzled against his exposed shoulder gently, a faint smile on her face. "I'm glad you're okay."

His hesitated, uncertainty in his voice and demeanor. "Thank you." The closeness unsettled him greatly. His body was tense, as if he wanted to leap away from her and out of her grasp, but he took a deep breath and laid still. "No one detected chakra burst from the seal being unleashed?"

"If they did, they didn't come to investigate. You've been unconscious for nearly a half hour."

"Idiot… what if someone attacked?" His voice had regained its normal lazy arrogant quality, and there was no heat behind the insult.

She tilted her head up, eyes squinting into the rising sun shining through the trees, to grin at him. "Then I would have beat them up."

He snorted. "You've changed."

She lay quiet for a moment, digesting his comment. "In a good way?"

He shrugged, not deigning to respond to her question. "Why did Kakashi's jutsu fail? We traveled too far away from him?"

She nodded, then her eyes fell. "Either that or… maybe Kakashi-sensei intentionally released it."

Sasuke's eyes hardened with cold anger. "Maybe we really are on our own."

Sakura watched him seethe, his mind pouring over the possibilities. Perhaps their sensei really had intentionally released his jutsu containing the curse seal… but more important than that, Sasuke's anger as he dwelt on the issue was already weakening her work. If she didn't distract him from his negative thoughts, the tentative jutsu she had worked would be unraveled. She sucked in a breath to steady herself, then pulled her face up to his level and placed her lips on his, kissing him gently. She wasn't sure what reaction she anticipated, but she knew she had to try.

Sasuke's body went rigid, every muscle went taut, and his lips were pressed shut in a thin line. Feeling his discomfort, she pulled back and cast her eyes to the side. 'Eh… Not exactly a wonderful first kiss…' She ignored Inner Sakura's wild cheering, and silently chided herself. 'It was his first too… not counting Naruto's accidental one during the final exam of the academy. This isn't going to be easy on either of us.'

Sasuke's mind had gone blank during the kiss, but now worked rapidly in the aftermath. It wasn't any sort of newfound realization that Sakura had romantic feelings for him… half the girls in Konoha did. But it had always been a distant knowledge... something always taken for granted. Now the issue was being pushed to the front of his mind, and he didn't like the feelings it invoked.

He knew what his reaction was supposed to be. His reflex reaction was to do something cruel, to ward her off. His whole life, he had ensured to react swiftly and harshly to any signs of affection from girls… there was no room in his life for romance. 'My life is revenge. That's all there is for me.' He had said it to himself a thousand times… it was his mantra. And it was true… to an extent. Caring for someone… taking revenge on his brother… they were mutually exclusive, weren't they?

His whole life, he had entertained fantasies of how things would play out. His brother, beaten and bloody, yielding before him. His own Sharingan blazing in the darkness, as his brother's eyes dimming, never to see again. But that wasn't how it had happened at all. The gap in power between his brother and himself hadn't narrowed at all since the day of the massacre of his family, and when they fought, he had ended up in the hospital, after landing nary single blow upon his anathema. He had succeeded in focusing all of his being into a single goal, of shutting out everything else that made life worth living, and yet it had gotten him nowhere. Doubts clawed at him.

He looked down, only able to see one half of her face. While he was mulling over his thoughts, Sakura had taken his lack of reaction as rejection. Her eyes were squeezed shut, but the golden daybreak shone across the pink locks of hair that spilled over her face, creating delicate shadows on her blushing cheeks. He felt… guilty… a very foreign feeling. He closed his own eyes as well, his vision swimming. This worry that gnawed inside him, the realization that he was important enough to someone to inspire a genuine reaction like that… it scared him.

He drew her face towards his, kissing her in return. He couldn't say why, exactly… it was part a need to apologize for his cold reaction, part because the grudging acknowledgment of life outside revenge had sparked a morbid sort of curiosity in him. What would it be like to actually care about someone other than himself? He couldn't help but wonder.

Sakura's eyes shot wide, then closed again as she returned his kiss softly. They lay pressed together for a time, kissing experimentally and learning from each one. The kisses were slow and unhurried, but Sakura was still short of breath when Sasuke broke it off to talk for a moment.

"Sakura… I can't promise you much…"

Her lips curled up with a content smile. "I know you can't. Just promise me that you'll try. That you'll see if there's room in your life for me."

He nodded slowly. "I guess… I guess we'll see." His fingers brushed an errant lock of her hair behind her ear.

She felt a thrill run through her, an exultation of victory. She drew his body in close, kissing him fiercely, feeling him hesitantly return the emotion. Sakura's boldness rose with each passing moment, cradling his head with her one hand while the other interlaced fingers with his free hand.

How long they lay together kissing, Sakura couldn't say. She would have been content to lie with him in their bed of leaves… letting her imagination run wild over what might happen if they continued. Her blush intensified, though she doubted Sasuke could tell. Their tongues' danced, the pair quickly adapting to the newness of the experiences. She was pushing her luck, since change did not come quickly to her fellow runaway. He was pulling away now, she knew. She had achieved more today than she had ever allowed herself to hope or dream for, though, and she didn't want to push him. Sakura sighed regretfully, disentangling herself from him, and they rose.

"We should get going." His voice was its usual curt tones, but there was a softness to his voice that she hadn't ever heard before.

Sasuke looked uncomfortable as he glanced at her sidelong, an expression Sakura found bizarre on his face. He wasn't exactly a man of many emotions… usually limited to arrogantly haughty or stoic, with brief bursts of anger. She cast her gaze to the ground, smiling at him. "Of course… you're right."

With her quiet ascension, he tore of at his normal breakneck speed. She launched herself into the trees with a kick from her legs, her heart rejoicing, her mind calculating, and Inner Sakura having a temper tantrum that she had let him out of her grasp.

"One step at a time…" she whispered.


	3. Chapter 3

Shikamaru petulantly contemplated his fate, leading a mission like this. "Bring back Sasuke and Sakura… willing or unwilling." He mulled quietly as he moved through the foliage. Someone had kidnapped two members of the village, and he had to find them? In all of Fire Country? How troublesome…

And yet it was worse. Kakashi-sensei had sent a small tracking dog, Pakkun, along with them. When they had been alone, Kakashi had given him a vague warning… not to underestimate Sasuke. It was ominous, and more troublesome… a variable in his plans that he couldn't even begin to predict.

He looked back over the team. The Nin-dog trailed behind him, using his nose to direct the team towards Sasuke and Sakura's likely position. The third in line was the most troublesome of all: Naruto. Shikamaru had watched Naruto fight during the Chunnin exam twice… and he had never seen that boy like this. Naruto had started the journey a burning ball of hate, and he was still drenched in fury as they flew through the trees. Shikamaru had tried to get out of having him on the team, but Tsunade insisted he stay for some reason… more troublesome unknowns. The one thing Shikamaru did know was that he couldn't rely on Naruto to follow orders… or even make rational decisions. It didn't seem possible for a human being to stay so angry for so long. Normally it would cool into brooding… but he was still a bundle of pure rage. Shikamaru could have sworn he saw Naruto's eyes physically change to red a few times.

Next in line was Neji, who was powerful, reliable, and could supplement their scent tracking with his byakugan. In rear guard was his cousin Hinata, easily the weakest in fighting skills, but she refused to be dissuaded from coming after she heard Naruto was going. In a high level fight she was going to end up as a liability. He didn't really want her along either, but she happened to be in the room when he found Neji and there was no time to wait for a more opportune moment.

He rubbed his forehead in resigned dismay. His team was a mishmash of talented but oh so troubled genin who had never worked together before. He doubted they would be able to take on anyone powerful enough to kidnap both Sasuke and Sakura without alerting anyone… or rather if Kakashi was right… Sasuke and Sakura themselves.

"Horribly troublesome…"

In the middle of the pack, the boy in an orange jacket sprung with feral leaps, trying not to not outdistance his companions… trying not to lose himself. Kyuubi was dashing against it's jutsu-forged bonds, and frankly, he wasn't in the mood to try and keep it down. His eyes flashed with dangerous power, and he blinked to make them go their normal aquamarine color again.

"Wait until we get to Sasuke…" He whispered under his breath. "Just… wait."

-----

The air was moist. They were getting close to the sea… and the border of Fire Country. Sasuke should have felt relief… but he was only leaving half his problems behind. The other half were following him, keeping herself thirty yards behind and a bit to the left. His dedication was beginning to waver, and it was all HER fault. He seethed, gritting his teeth so hard that they ground together. She was always there… sleeping beside him while they rested for a few scant hours… whipping up a decent breakfast from what she could forage while he cleaned their weapons. Always trying to cheer him up, always smiling… always a burning temptation to distract him from his objective. He hated the temptation… but he couldn't quite bring himself to hate… her.

And he couldn't deny her usefulness. If he hadn't taken her… if she hadn't been with him when Kakashi's seal broke, he would been disabled and powerless when the pursuers caught up with him. He would have been dragged back to the village in ropes… he shuddered to think. But she, through what he could only deduce to be panic-driven talent, had managed to reseal the curse.

But that was only the rational side of his head that was talking. Brutally suppressed emotions had begun to leak through cracks in his psyche… cracks that had appeared with her kiss. Even now, thoughts were tumbling through his head of their own volition. What if he had someone he could trust? Someone he could rely on during the hard times… someone he could laugh with during the good times. Someone… he could love.

It was the single dumbest though Sasuke had ever let spin about in his mind. She would be a liability at best, and the cause of his demise at worst. And yet… the thought wouldn't go away. For what seemed like the thousandth time, he mulled over what Kakashi had told him on the day he left the village. 'Even if you succeed in your revenge, all that will remain is sorrow.' He didn't know what had happened in Kakashi's past, but the look Sasuke had seen in the one eye which was visible… he couldn't deny the truth in it.

He was so caught up in his contemplation, he almost didn't notice Sakura until he spotted her speeding through the trees beside him. She signaled for a stop, and they landed deftly on a wide branch of an ancient oak tree. Sasuke realized that the sounds of labored breathing weren't only coming from his pink haired companion. His eyes stung with sweat, and he allowed himself to feel the pain in his legs. If he was this bad off… he could only imagine what Sakura felt like.

"I've been thinking…" she managed between pained breaths. "Maybe we could spend tonight in an inn?" She pointed to a clearing in the trees a half mile away, barely visible through the foliage. It looked like a small inn for travelers.

"That's stupid." He watched as her expression twitched, then fell. For a second, he thought he saw a flash of anger in her eyes before her customary, hurt expression appeared. "We don't have time to, Sakura."

She pouted, holding her ground. "We don't need to spend extra time sleeping… I just want something more comfortable. A bed would be more restful anyway… we could move faster if we didn't have cramps from sleeping on uncomfortable ground."

Unbidden thoughts flashed through his mind: Sakura's warmth through their clothes as she was pressed against him, the delicate smell of bathing herbs from her hair, the softness of her lips pressed against his. The thought of them sleeping in a bed, nestled together… he railed against his yearning, lashing out at her. "If you slow me down, Sakura…" he growled, "I won't think twice about leaving you behind in that comfortable bed of yours. Should have known you couldn't cut it… bringing you with me like this…" He harrumphed at her.

Her hands clenched into fists. Inner Sakura was screaming bloody murder, and for once Sakura felt the same. She had saved his life, and he hadn't so much as thanked her. She was keeping up with his pace even though it was murdering her, and he didn't even acknowledge it. She had thrown away her life, her future as a shinobi, all because she wanted to make sure that he didn't die on this insane mission of revenge of his. Now this? "Screw you, Uchiha."

Sasuke blinked at her. She blinked back. Did she just say that out loud? She was pretty sure she had only meant to say it in her head… but it had instead come out of her in an unnatural, cold tone. The raven-haired love of her life was looking at her as if she was insane, and she tended to agree. Her head swam with the knowledge of what had just happened. Sure… she had felt it. She had meant it too. But she sure as hell hadn't meant to actually express it to him. She turned her back slowly, walking away from him down the length of the branch. Her knees felt very weak at the moment, but she managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other, slowly meandering away from him.

"Sakura." His voice was uncertain. "I'm… uh… sorry. You're probably right… sleeping in a bed would be more restful for us." Sasuke wasn't certain what he had just seen, but it wasn't the Sakura he was used to. He felt… unsettled.

Her voice was thready. "We can just use Henge no Jutsu to make sure that no one recognizes us. Let's go."

And Sasuke found himself following her.

-----

Shikamaru was contemplating over various strategies as Neji shouted something from the back of their line. The stream of ninjas halted and backtracked to where the pair of Hyuuga stood with their byakugan active, looking over the area. His keen eyesight didn't miss much, but he couldn't see anything to cause the stop. Just a small clearing in the forest. "What is it, Neji."

"There was an enormous explosion of chakra here…" The white eyed boy spoke quietly.

Shikamaru swallowed nervously. Neji's conception of quantities of chakra varied greatly from his own. The male Hyuuga didn't think twice about pouring his vast chakra out of his body… and seemed to have incredible reserves. For Neji to become so unsettled… "How much?"

"It's easily on par with what Naruto exhibited while fighting me. Also similar to Naruto… the chakra feels… evil."

Hinata gasped. "Naruto-kun isn't evil… just... um..." She looked over at Naruto, who's expression seemed locked in a perpetual half snarl. "…angry." She blushed.

Neji slowly nodded. "Hinata-sama is correct in a sense. While Naruto's chakra feels as though it comes from a source of anger… this chakra feels coldly malicious."

The obvious question was voiced by Naruto. "Sasuke?" The Hyuuga nodded in unison. "Bastard…"

Hinata spoke in a hushed voice, just loud enough for everyone to hear. "I hope we can catch up to them soon. Whoever is holding them might be hurting them…"

Shikamaru watched the reactions of his teammates. 'She's the only one who still has hope they've been kidnapped.' Shikamaru gave a resigned sigh. This mission was looking more and more troublesome. Why did he always get into situations like this? "Let's get going, team. Stick to the plan." Nods all around, and they took flight.

-----

The door slid shut, and the bland looking adult couple who rented a room from the inn keep reverted back to their traditional forms with an audible pop and white smoke. Sasuke looked around the tiny room, dismayed. 'All that money… and this is what we get?' There was only a single bed, though double wide, and the bath wasn't even inside its own alcove. Instead, it simply sat in the corner, with steam wafting up into the air and out a vent in the ceiling. Not even a divider for privacy. The room was cramped, but at least it was clean. His exhausted compatriot fell onto the bed with a content moan, scooping up the pillows in her arms and hugging them to her chest with a soft smile. Sasuke tried not to let himself think as he scratched the back of his neck. "Sakura… you can have the bath while it's still warm. I'm going for a walk."

"No… its okay Sasuke-kun!" That grating fawning voice of hers was back… no traces of that coldly angry tone that had told him off from before. "You can have it first."

He didn't want to admit it, but a bath would feel very good right now. Many days travel had covered his body in sweat and grime, and filled his muscles with weariness. Just a quick dip to work the dirt out of his hair at least. Normal Japanese customs were that you cleaned yourself outside of the bath before entering… but there was no where in the room to accommodate washing outside of the bath. He shrugged, slipping off his sandals, then looked at her pointedly. She blinked, then blushed fiercely and covered her eyes with her hands.

The pink haired kunoichi managed to hesitate for a moment before curiosity got the better of her. A small split in the fingers of her one hand gave her a glimpse of his naked back as his half ripped shirt came off and fell to the floor. He stepped out of his pants too before slipping into the bath in his boxers. She squeezed her fingers shut again, waiting a moment before asking if she could open her eyes. A small grunt of agreement, and she took her hands away. Sasuke lay in the bath with his arms on the sides, his hair matted with water and his back to her.

She hugged the pillow to her chest tighter… remembering the sensation of having Sasuke wrapped up in her arms. Had she ruined it all by letting Inner-Sakura slip out for a moment? "Sasuke-kun?" she said in a small voice. He didn't reply, so she just continued. "… sorry… for before."

He was silent for a moment. "Forget about it."

Sakura contemplated his reply. Lately, his scathing responses had tapered into quiet dismissals. She supposed that… for him… that was kindness. Inner-Sakura wasn't some alternate personality in the back of her head, she knew. Not really, anyway, no matter how much she might pretend. It was more of a ball of feelings that she wrapped up in the back of her head… all of the emotions she had that weren't what Sasuke wanted her to be… suppressed. But now she wondered, if that was the right thing to do.

She slid off the bed, kneeling next to the bath by him. As she reached for him, she felt her hands tremble. She took a breath to calm herself, gently placing her hands on his shoulders. She felt him twitch away as the contact was made. It was only a momentary reaction, and after the initial surprise, he continued to lay there as her hands rested on his wet skin. Taking that as acceptance, she began to rub his shoulders expertly. She silently gave thanks to her mother, who had taught her years ago how to massage like a professional. Time passed by wordlessly as she concentrated on the sensations beneath her hands to guide her. Sasuke slowly sat up as she worked, silently flexing his shoulders back in pleasure as she worked the tension from his limbs. After she reached his lower back, the angle became too awkward and she draped her arms over his shoulders, clasping him in an awkward hug.

After a moment clasped together, he got out of the bath quietly, wrapping a towel around his half clad form as he wiped down with a smaller towel. No thanks were forthcoming, but she hadn't really expected any. Sakura stayed on her knees, resting her head on her arms by the side of the bath, watching him rub his hair with the towel to let it dry properly. He tossed the smaller wet towel aside, his eyes opening and gazing at her carefully through a curtain of mussed hair. "Your turn."

Sakura's breath caught in her throat, but Sasuke shrugged and took two steps over to their double wide bed and lay in it, stomach down, facing away. She wasn't certain if it was because he wanted to give her privacy or he just didn't care… but either way, it took some pressure off her. She kept her gaze on him as she undressed, but he never stirred. She stepped into the steaming water, basking in the heat.

"Sasuke-kun?" Her voice was fainter now, laced with indecision. She didn't get a response, so she tried again. "Sasuke-kun?"

"Mmnph." came a muffled reply.

"Can you wash my back?" There… she had managed to say it.

A few seconds passed, and then Sasuke grumbled and rolled out of bed. "Fine. Fair is fair I guess."

She was in the same corner he had been, her back facing the bed. He wiped down her back with a washcloth, and she raised herself to her knees so he had better access to her body with both hands and eyes. His hands pulled away, but came back after a moment to massage her shoulders. She curled up against the side of the tub with a content grin. It was obvious that he had never massaged anyone before, because he pretty bad at it. But honestly… she didn't care. It was the intent that mattered.

Sasuke imitated her movements and motions, letting his hands glide over her glistening skin. He felt a tightness in his chest, perhaps… apprehension? But yet, this was enjoyable… in its own strange way. It didn't seem like the sort of thing that could be overanalyzed, perhaps. His hand movements had reached her waist, and it seemed like that was far enough. He rested his hands against the small of her back for a moment, then withdrew his hands.

Or tried to at least. Sakura's one hand was gently wrapped around one of his wrists, pulling his hand back around to the front of her body and placing it gently onto her stomach. His other hand slowly joined its companion, stroking in small circles up her stomach, guided by Sakura's own hands placed over his, moving up her chest. He felt lightheaded, and rested his head against her shoulder, feeling her hair brush against his cheek. And then his hands were cupping her breasts, caressing her wet skin. Sakura moaned softly, her hands still leading his, instructing on where to press, where to apply pressure, where to pinch. The latter lesson elicited a sharp gasp from Sakura, and with that, her hands left his and instead reached around, above and behind her, grasping at him and pulling him close.

At first, it was more of an academic exercise to Sasuke. His knowledge of female anatomy, particularly parts which weren't normally visible, was poor at best. But her sounds of breathlessness encouraged him on, and in a bizarre way, he found himself enjoying the knowledge of how he was granting her pleasure. It was gratifying… a sense of accomplishment he lacked from any of his other pursuits in life.

She turned her head to the side, kissing his neck, and he turned to kiss her lips. She pulled him in closer, locking them into a kiss as he continued to fondle her in an increasingly talented way. Emboldened by her successes, Sakura clasped her arms around his back and heaved him into the tub.

Sasuke felt himself being pulled headlong into the water. This was Sakura? The demure, virtually useless third teammate that he had worked with for nearly a year? He closed his eyes as he hit the water, feeling the towel unravel and fall to the floor, leaving him only in his boxers as he was immersed. He turned gracefully in the water, rising up to be parallel with her. He could see her from the front for the first time, her eyes burning with an impassioned fervor he never thought to see upon her face. He felt a genuine smile tugging at his expression, a rare occurrence. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing their naked chests together as they kissed, twining their tongues together. His knee slipped between her legs, rubbing against the waterlogged fabric of her panties in just the right spot to bring a moan of appreciation out of her throat. She ground against his leg, coaxing him on further. Her fingernails traced patterns down his back as his knee continued working its magic upon her. Water splashed out of the tub, the waterline already dangerously high from having two bodies in at once. Her breath was already drawing short, and she gasped in a quick breath between frantic kisses. The friction was shooting jolts up her spine, and she pushed against him harder. Before long, she had pushed him to the other side of the tub, so that it was her body pressing against his and not the other way around. Sasuke's expression was one of intent determination, lacking the indecision of their previous encounter. She ran her hands through his raven hair, kissing him fiercely.

His hands wrapped around her back, drawing her in, the last of his reservations fading. She kissed down his chest, then back up to his collarbone. He gently turned her, extracting himself from her grasp, so that she was sitting in his lap as they snuggled with only their heads above the water. Sakura pouted slightly, because she couldn't kiss him from this angle, but the attention his hands paid to her nipples quickly made up for that. She could feel his breathing growing thicker, with her back to his chest, and she smiled. His one hand continued while the other dropped down her chest, until a single one of his fingers played with the band to her underwear. She felt her heart hammering in her chest, and her own hand clasped over his, pulling it up to her stomach. She bit her lip. It had been an instinctive defense, but he had probably taken it as a rejection. He kissed the back of her shoulder, and she let out a breath, pressing the errant hand downward to cup her through the thin material. Sasuke's hand caressed her, sending shivers through her. After a moment, his hand delved inside the fabric, touching her without barriers. A single digit inside her, and she bucked up against the hand that was causing these sensations.

Though a part of his mind was still experimenting and learning, Sasuke's rational thought processes had mostly turned off. The rush of satisfaction from fulfilling Sakura's desires fed his own happiness… a strange sort of expanding circle of bliss. She was writhing against him now, softly vocalizing her pleasures and encouragement. Her movements in her seat were causing stirrings of his own, though he clamped down on them… he wanted to concentrate on her for tonight.

Her vision was quickly going white, an all-consuming sensation building inside her loins. A single shred of sanity left inside of her said that the walls around them were thin and she had to keep quiet, but choked gasps of pleasure kept escaping her throat. She arched her back and turned her head, kissing Sasuke's neck. Through the dim light, she could see Sasuke's intent face as his finger worked inside her. Faster and faster the strokes came, and the tension became nearly unbearable. He turned his face, kissing her lips as he thrust, and the tension crested over her in a red wave. Her back spasmed and arched back, all the muscles in her body going taut, and she cried out into his kiss. Other waves of pleasure, some larger and some smaller, swept over her as Sasuke brought her down slowly with tender ministrations. They stayed coupled as the time passed silently, caressing and softly kissing each other into the night.

And there they lay, as the water cooled to lukewarm, for the hours of their rest, intertwined in that comfortable position. As she slept, Sakura had a grin which nearly covered her face, errant strands of pink hair matted to her cheeks and Sasuke's chest. And Sasuke's dreams, normally filled with tormenting imagery of blood and blazing red eyes, were restful for the first time since his childhood. He dreamt of cherry blossoms.


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata bounded through the trees, her lungs aching. She had a smaller frame than any of the others and it took her more leaps to achieve the same speed. She hadn't uttered a word of complaint though… it was obvious Naruto-kun wanted to keep up or even increase their blazing pace.

Naruto-kun. Traveling behind him in the formation had made the journey easier… just looking at him seemed to give her strength. It always had, back when they entered the Ninja Academy when she was nine. He was just like her, in many ways. He was an outcast of the village, but she was an outcast inside her own family. He dealt with it by building an indomitable resolve and sticking with his one dream… to someday be the Hokage of Konoha. She dealt with it by… well… she didn't really deal with it. The constant fears and doubt were stifling her progress. She really wished she could pass on her position as head child to Neji, or her sister Hanabi… but they had been born in an order and tradition wouldn't let them change it. Hanabi's children too would be marked with the restraining curse.

The restraining curse… she hated it. She hated Neji's mocking deference to her. She wanted to gain his respect, for him to be friendly to her and train with her, but all she could ever get from him was the protocol of respect in a well hidden tone of seething rage. He hated people having control over him, like an inescapable fate, and she would always have that control. No matter what she did, he would always hate her. And the head family disliked her too… her father and mother desperately tried to drive her to an acceptable level of talent so she wouldn't be such an embarrassment to them. But until recently… her heart just wasn't in the training. Not until… he had really begun to inspire her.

Naruto had matured since they graduated. No longer was he just the loud, obnoxious prankster… he was impassioned and driven… and had a strong sense of responsibility. And there was even more, simmering underneath. She watched the object of her affection ahead of her, his body literally pouring over with the same red, evil chakra that had defeated her cousin. She was terribly worried about him. The forces that gave him those incredible reserves… they were demonic. Both she and Neji knew about it, but Neji had respected her wishes and kept most of his observations to himself. Naruto-kun didn't need any more trouble. She needed to be stronger so that when the time came, she could help him defeat the evil inside him. She wanted to help him… but right now the only thing he wanted to see was Sakura.

She burned. Her unknowing rival… Haruno Sakura. It would be different if Sakura could see what was in front of her, and Naruto and her found happiness. She would cheer for their love then, though it would hurt. But Sakura insisted on pining over the same boy half the other girls in the village did, and ignored Naruto-kun in the process. Naruto-kun was too good for Sakura. Hinata wanted him to notice her so badly, it hurt. But she… she had always been terrible at talking with new people. She loved and trusted her teammates Kiba and Shino, and her sensei, Kurenai, but she couldn't talk about her crush with any of them.

The gap between her and Naruto in the line was growing wider again. Her brow furrowed in determination as she clamped down on her weakness, forcing herself to push on, barely managing to close the gap so she stayed in formation before her resolve failed and she couldn't gain on him anymore. Which left her chasing Naruto as usual, without a chance in the world of catching him.

-----

Sakura hummed to herself quietly as she flew. Today… today was a good day. The day after she and Sasuke had… she still blushed to think about it. He was talented, considering they were both neophytes as far as intimacy was concerned. She had read some romance novels, and had a vague idea of what went where… but Sasuke… she hadn't had high hopes for him, honestly. He had surprised her, though he was naturally good at most things, she supposed. That boded well for her. It still bothered her that they had fallen asleep before she had the chance to return the favor. But… there was always tonight. Maybe if…

So consumed she was in her thoughts, she nearly didn't sense the unmasked presence of rapidly closing pursuers behind them. Familiar auras… probably people she knew. Concentrating, she felt a natural mask of chakra flow over her and make her presence blend with that of the trees and other life around them. She accelerated, her strides falling in synch with his, her finger rapidly flashing a message. 'Five coming from behind, one very strong.' He nodded curtly at her, a faint trace of a smile on his lips. She felt her heart hammering in her chest. This was the moment she had been dreading. If they were captured, brought back home… how could she face everyone? And worse yet… she knew Sasuke wouldn't back down, not ever. The only way he would be going back to the village would be beaten bloody… maybe even dead. She watched as slowed his jumps, dropping down to the ground, and she hid herself expertly in the branches above, chewing her lips as she pushed down panic, trying to keep her head clear.

Sasuke was leaning against a tree casually as Neji, Hinata, Naruto and what looked like a Nin tracking hound landed in perfect symmetry forty feet in front of him. Neji hesitated for a moment before speaking in cold voice. "Sasuke… we're here to rescue you."

Sasuke slowly looked back and forth, then looked at them with a grin that didn't touch his eyes. "Doesn't look like I need rescuing." Neji stared at him stoically while Hinata pressed her fingers together and fretted. "Guess you three can go home." Three of them… four if you count the Nin-dog. Sakura had said she sensed five.

Neji's brows furrowed. "We're bringing you back… rescued or not."

Sasuke spread his hands. "Maybe I don't want to go back."

Naruto burst out from behind Neji, shoving both Hyuuga aside. "Sasuke, you bastard… what have you done with Sakura-chan!" His voice was deep, his eyes a blazing crimson, ignoring the restraining hand that Neji put on his chest.

Sasuke regarded him coolly, but his stomach churned. He had seen those eyes… and they usually spelled doom for whoever was facing against the crazed boy. Naruto's eyes twitched over to Sasuke's left for a moment… a bush around the base of a tree. An icy foreboding washed over his spine, and he leapt into the air.

Or at least tried to. His body was frozen in place, rooted to a shadow. 'Shit… should have known they'd send Shikamaru. Fighting in the shadows of the trees… stupid…' There was no time for regrets though.

Naruto was bursting with chakra… so much swirling around him it was visible… that dangerous vermilion hue. "What did you do to Sakura-chan?" He shouted again, his voice shrill with anger.

"She doesn't want to see you." He managed to get out of a jaw that ached to move. It was the truth anyway, he suspected.

Naruto's eyes were an inferno, and his lip curled up into a snarl as his fingers stabbed through the motions of that new jutsu Sasuke had seen on the roof of the hospital... what had he shouted when he did it? Rasengan? It meant Spiral Blast… and it was aptly named. All that monstrous chakra, poured into a tiny ball and carefully controlled to be spinning at a terrifying rate. Sasuke could tell that it would rip his body apart if it impacted… and he could barely move. Not good. He poured his chakra into his arm, feeling the familiar searing pain shoot up his arm as his skin boiled under the heat and pressure of the Chidori.

-----

From her perch in the trees, she watched as Naruto began to run forward. Flaring chakra from two immensely powerful jutsu on a collision course… she was having flashes of deja-vu. Just like that day on the hospital, when she had tried to throw herself between her two best friends to keep them from killing each other… only this time there was no Kakashi to help. The last incident, she had lost control of her emotions and thrown herself out wildly with tears in her eyes. This time, she had a determined expression on her face as she jumped.

Naruto saw a flash of pink out of the corner of his eye, and it was enough to break the hold Kyuubi's mindless rage held over him for a moment. His headlong dash hesitated, and he pulled his arm back just in time to avoid slamming it into her chest as she interposed herself. "Sakura-cha…" His joyful exultation trailed off as he saw the look on her face.

What was it that Naruto had said to her on the roof of this hospital, that day she had interposed herself before? 'Don't ever… interfere again.' Well… too bad. It was her chance to save Sasuke, finally. "You going to hit Sasuke-kun with that new jutsu of yours? He can't move or avoid it, Naruto… it will be lethal."

"He deserves it… for what he did to you." The Rasengan dispersed in his hand, and she heard the terrible chirping sound of the Chidori die out behind her.

Sakura held her kunai in a battle stance, her expression cold. "He didn't do anything to me."

"Don't worry, we'll get you home safe. No one blames you for leaving…" Naruto smiled thinly at her, trying to keep his hopes up. She hadn't really left of her own free will… that was insane. The bastard had kidnapped her… but then… why was she looking at him like that?

"I can't go back, Naruto." She deliberately left the 'kun' off his name. "That life… its over for us. I'm sorry."

"Why?" His voice was flat, the question ripped from a hoarse throat.

"Because Sasuke-kun needs to find peace in his own way. And he can't do that while being assigned to D rank missions walking dogs."

Naruto's face watched the ground, his voice growing more choked by the second. "And what does that have to do with you, Sakura-chan? What?"

"I…" She hesitated, looking over at Sasuke, who was gritting his teeth as he fought against Shikamaru jutsu. "Sasuke-kun and I are a team."

It was just like he had been dreading… his worst nightmare playing true. She had gone with him willingly, and she was going to leave him behind. All of Naruto's hopes crashed, his rage dissipating. A single sob came from his tightened throat, then his head jerked up, crystal blue eyes spilling over with tears of frustration. "No! The three of us are a team, Sakura-chan! The three of us!"

Her breath caught in her throat. "Naruto… kun… I just…"

His eyes blazed with determination. "We're a team, Sakura-chan. You… me… even the bastard Sasuke. And what we do… we do together. You're leaving? Fine." He turned around, taking a step back to stand with Sakura. "I'm leaving too." His gaze burned at Neji, daring him to say something.

Sakura's expression faded into desperation. "No… no you can't. Sasuke-kun and I damned ourselves to this fate, but you've got a future, Naruto-kun. You can grow up to be a Jounin… become an Anbu…"

He smiled grimly at her from the side of his eyes, wiping away the errant tears. "And betray my teammates for all that to happen? You should know me better than that."

Sakura looked over pleadingly at Shikamaru, who was slowly walking out of his hiding spot, sweating from the concentration it took to keep someone as strong as Sasuke rooted in place. "Tell him he can't. You're the team leader, damn it! Tell him he can't!"

Shikamaru instead watched Naruto with a troubled expression, and shrugged. In all the scenarios he had thought through, Naruto defecting had been one of the most devastating. He could keep Sasuke locked down, but barely at that. Even hoping that Naruto's show of fighting prowess during the Chuunin exam was a fluke; that Neji and Naruto were roughly equal in strength… that left Hinata and Sakura to face off. And he had no illusions over Hinata's willingness to raise a hand against Naruto to help out her cousin, even if she bested Sakura. That girl's infatuation was obvious to everyone except Naruto himself. Shikamaru watched his worst case scenario play out before him with a disgruntled frown.

Sasuke fought against the now familiar crawling sensation on his neck. The seal was struggling against its bonds, trying to claw its way free and sear its way across his flesh. With that power, he could overpower Shikamaru's shadow jutsu, but… he didn't want to release the seal again. It felt good… too good… to have that level of power. Each time it unsealed, he lost a little more of himself, and put himself that much closer to being Orochimaru's pawn. Plus it meant destroying all of Sakura's work… the time, the amount of herself she put into that jutsu to try and help him keep the curse contained.

He watched Sakura and Naruto bicker back and forth. First Naruto wanted to kill him, now to join him. Naruto didn't realize that Sasuke had run not just from the village, but from him as well. Naruto was dangerously close to becoming the first friend that Sasuke had ever had. Itachi's final words to him before departing still rankled in his mind. 'You must kill your closest friend.' It was supposedly the only way to ever succeed at getting his revenge… and he was terrified of the time that he would eventually lose enough of himself to make that choice and follow his brother's advice.

Hinata was watching all of her dreams burn before her eyes. She cried out in near panic. "Naruto-kun!" Everyone stopped and looked over at her. She froze, not having a plan for what to say next. She squeezed her eyes shut, hating how all the attention was on her. But… she knew… it was make or break now. If she didn't think of something, her Naruto-kun would be gone for months, probably years, and the only girl around him would be Sakura. "Let…" she took a deep breath, nearly gasping for air in her panic. "Let me come with you!"

Naruto's confused expression was crushing. "Hinata?"

She pushed on… it was too late to rethink. "Well… um…" She desperately sought a reason. "You… might need healing… when you're out there." She pulled out her herbal paste that she used to heal his wounds during the Chuunin exam. "None of you have any medical skills so…"

Naruto still looked doubtful, but suddenly she found support from an unexpected source. "Yes… Hinata can come along if she likes." Sakura smiled at her, beckoning. She trembled as she walked to join them, her mind wheeling with possibilities. Why was Sakura willing to help her? And… had she really just abandoned her village and become a Missing-Nin?

Shikamaru's mind reeled. With Hinata standing timidly on the other side of the battlefield, the odds had gone completely against them. All the young Hyuuga girl had to do was activate the Jyuuin curse seal, and Neji was rendered helpless. With Neji gone, that left Shikamaru alone against four ninjas... not exactly a situation he relished to put himself in. Making his decision, he released the jutsu enwrapping Sasuke with a shrug. "Well… I give up."

Sasuke tensed as he was freed, ready to spring into action. "You won't be trying to capture us?"

He groaned. "Half my team is gone over. Hell… that old bag is probably going to make me lead a new team out to recapture all of you. I'm half tempted to come myself." He faced the disapproving stares of four recently deserted ninja. "Eh… I was only kidding."

Neji looked uncomfortably at Shikamaru. "So that's it? We're not going to even try?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Too troublesome. We can't win against these four." He started to walk away, then turned back. "Eh… and good luck, you guys. Come back someday."

Neji glowered at Hinata uncertainly, his mind whirling over the possibilities. Finally reaching some level of internal understanding, he bowed crisply once to Hinata, then followed Shikamaru into the trees.

Kakashi's Nin-dog shook his head slowly. "Take care of yourselves." he stated, before retreating as well.

Naruto looked deflated, looking around at his three fellow ninjas. He screwed up his expression in confusion. "So... what do we do?"

Sasuke rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. 'Good gods... what did I get myself into now?'


	5. Chapter 5

They had decided to spend a day resting, now that there was no worries of pursuit. Sasuke had divvied up the roles for everyone, and they had begun to set up a makeshift camp. Naruto had been away for a long time on his task, and Sakura tracked him down. His aura was hard to miss, even at a distance. She walked up behind Naruto, watching him growl low in his throat as he tried to catch fish in the icy cold water with his bare hands. She grinned as she threw a kunai with expert precision through the center of a fish, wheeling it in with the ninja wire she had tied around its ringlet handle. "It works faster my way."

Naruto looked back at her with a frustrated, bemused expression. "I like my way better." His hands darted in and grabbed a fish, and he threw it in his bucket. "Guess it's the fox in me."

"The fox?"

"Never mind." came the grunted reply. Another splash, and another fish eluded him.

She decided to cut to the purpose of her visit. "So… what do you think of having Hinata along?"

He stopped his efforts entirely, looking at her. "She's really nice. She's pretty weird though."

Naruto… calling someone weird? "How so?"

"Like… she's always stammering and blushing and bowing." He put a finger to his lip, contemplating.

"She's only like that around you, Naruto-kun." Sakura sighed at his raised eyebrow. "She likes you, Naruto."

Naruto chewed his lip. "I like Hinata-chan too. Doesn't mean I get all blushy and stuff…"

Sakura furrowed her brow. "No… I mean… she LIKES you likes you." Naruto looked at her blankly. This had to be one of the less intelligent conversations she'd ever carried out, but… it was with Naruto, after all. "She wants to go on a date with you."

Naruto's eyes went to the ground as he thought it over, pieces falling into place. It took a good moment for him to process. Finally, he uttered a single word. "Why?"

Sakura giggled. He seemed genuinely puzzled. "Well… I think I'd be best for you to talk about it with her yourself."

Naruto's eyes fell. "What about us? We… we went on a date, didn't we?"

Sakura barely contained a sigh. That was the question she didn't really want to hear. She sat down next to him. "Um… well…" She scratched the back of her head. "I know you like me Naruto, and that's sweet. But Sasuke and I… we're a couple now." That wasn't strictly true… she hadn't actually talked it over with him and said the words.

Naruto swallowed and stayed silent. "Seriously?" Sakura nodded quietly. "I always thought…" His voice caught in his throat, but he cleared it. "I always thought I had a chance, ya know? He never really seemed the type to…" He waved his hands vaguely. "I dunno."

Should she tell him what she could barely admit to herself? That he ran a dangerously close second in her heart? That if Sasuke hadn't taken her with him, she probably would have ended up seeking comfort in his arms? No… that would probably only make it worse, she knew. "I'm really sorry, Naruto-kun. I know I'm probably hurting you and I hate it."

He tried to shake his head... to tell her that he wasn't hurt, but it wasn't very convincing. "When you left... I kept thinking... I'd never get to see you again. And now..."

Her voice faltered. "I always want us to be a team, Naruto-kun."

His voice was choked up to the point of tears, but that statement made his eyes light up."Promise?"

She nodded with a smile. "I promise. We'll always be a team." She ruffled his hair, and he growled and drew her into a hug. A few days ago, she probably would have punched him in the jaw, but now she returned the affection. He was sobbing quietly into her chest, and she stroked his hair softly. Being no stranger to unrequited love, his tears cut her deep. Life really wasn't fair sometimes, but this was for the best.

After a while, Naruto sat up and rubbed his eyes with a resigned smile. "You finally managed to melt that icy bastard's heart?"

Sakura felt herself blushing. "Something like that. Listen, Naruto… This won't change anything."

"Damn right it won't. I'm still going to kick that bastard's ass every time we spar. Don't think I'll go easy on him just because you're his girlfriend." He grinned at her.

She smiled back. "You're still the number one ninja at surprising." His hands dove into the water, pulling out a pair of fish with a flourish.

"Hinata…" he said her name contemplatively as they walked back with their catch.

Sakura nodded. "Promise me you'll at least talk with her."

He nodded sagely. "There's been a little too much ignoring of people's feelings, lately."

To hear him put it so bluntly and kindly nearly broke her heart. "I'm… I'm sorry."

He grinned wryly. "Naw… I didn't really mean you. You might have punched me and yelled at me, but you never ignored me. I was more of talking about what Sasuke did to you. And…" his voice grew quieter. "And what I've been doing to Hinata."

Sakura rubbed his shoulder. "Somehow… I think she'll forgive you pretty quick."

-----

Hinata was mulling nervously over how the next few hours might go… the opportunities she might have. During the mission with Naruto, Shikamaru had ordered a stop twice. The first time, Naruto had been too wired to sleep, and half of the double wide area she had cleared of bumps and sticks went to waste. The second call for rest, they were both so exhausted it was more of passing out than going to sleep. She had been shaken awake by Neji scant hours later, and found the blond boy drooling on her lower left pant leg. He apparently had been using her calf for a pillow all night. She probably shouldn't read too much in to it, she knew… he probably just collapsed onto her randomly. Still… it was her first night of sleeping in the same proximity as Naruto, and the thought of it made her glow.

She could see Sakura and Naruto were walking back from the river, her hand briefly making contact with his shoulder. She burned with envy, though it never reached her porcelain features. Why did Sakura get to be on Naruto's team and not her? Why did he laugh and smile easily with that girl and not… not her. She bit her lip to keep from screaming.

As she thought, her hands went through the practiced motions of making a fire pit. Kiba and Shino always made her do the mundane work during their missions, mainly because she wouldn't complain. The small sticks she had collected were the driest she could find, but they still wet with dew, and practically useless. As she struggled with the moist kindling, Sakura's voice hailed her from down by a stream, forty yards away.

Her suspicion mounted. She wandered over to where Sakura was filling water skins with mountain run off from the stream. "Yes, Sakura?"

Her pink haired rival leaned in conspiratorially with a grin. "You like Naruto, right?"

Hinata stuttered, feeling her face blush. "Um…"

Sakura shook her head. "Don't worry. We'll leave you alone to talk after dinner. He might even be a little more forthcoming than usual." She glanced back to where Hinata had been working. "And ask for Sasuke's help with the kindling. Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu makes a mean cooking fire."

The ivory skinned girl looked dazed, but bowed and walked back to her work. The pieces were falling in place quickly now, Sakura thought to herself. Alone time with Sasuke was now all but guaranteed. Sakura coughed to cover her snickering. She mentally high fived with Inner-Sakura… as well as one can high five with an imaginary construction. Her plan was progressing well.

-----

Sasuke sat with a pile of weapons around him, cleaning the kunai and various other weapons absently as he contemplated his train wreck of a mission of revenge. Sakura he had brought willingly, but even that had been a stretch to justify to himself. Naruto he could concede might be helpful. But now there was a Hyuuga girl with them that he barely knew. He scratched the back of his head absently. The worst part about it all was that… he wasn't nearly as upset as he should be. A few months ago even, he would have just dumped everyone in the woods and set off by himself again. Let them try and chase. But they had thrown away their vows and lives to help him find peace… and he felt a strange sort of responsibility towards them. I must be getting soft… he thought ruefully.

Naruto wandered over, picking up a second oiled rag out of the pile of packs and helping him silently. Sasuke looked over the blond boy quietly. His eyes were bloodshot, and his features were ashen. Naruto showed no signs of starting conversation, so Sasuke sighed and broke the uneasy silence. "You really would have killed me, wouldn't you." It wasn't really a question, more of a statement.

"If you had kidnapped Sakura… I would have done worse than kill you."

He snorted. "Why did you think I kidnapped her, dead last?" He called Naruto by the old insult he had used back in the academy.

Naruto shrugged, throwing a finished kunai in the pile. "Mostly wishful thinking on my part, I guess. If you wanted her, all you had to do was ask." He looked at Sasuke in the eye. "You knew that." Sasuke stared right back silently, not backing down from the stare. At last Naruto was the one to look away, his voice bitter. "You could have chosen any of them. There were piles of girls hammering on your door, Sasuke. Why her? Why…" He trailed off, the thought completed only in his head. Why the girl I liked?

Sasuke fought down unpleasant guilt. "She… she saved me."

Naruto chewed on that. "From what?"

"Itachi told me…" Sasuke held his breath, realizing what he was saying… a secret he'd kept locked away for as long as it had been his to keep. Naruto looked up at him with curious blue eyes. He sighed. "He told me that I'd have to kill my closest friend to… to ever have a chance of defeating him."

Naruto shook his head. "And you believed him?"

"Itachi had the Mangekyou Sharingan before the end. It let him see the future, Father said."

"What does any of that have to do with me?"

"I tried so hard not to make friends with anyone ever since then." Sasuke drew in a long shuddering breath. "But somehow… you slipped by all my defenses."

Naruto grinned. "When I'm with you… sometimes I wonder if it's what it'd be like to have a brother. An older… very annoying brother, but… still."

"But don't you see, Naruto? That's why I ran away. It all fits so perfectly." From Naruto's expression, he could see Naruto didn't see at all. "I used to think that Itachi meant that I'd need to kill you with my own hands to manifest my own Mangekyou and be on equal level with him. But now… look at it. Itachi, for whatever reason, wants to kidnap you. And we're hunting Itachi together." Sasuke's obsidian black eyes looked haunted. "What if at some point I have to choose between your life and taking Itachi's?"

Naruto grinned. "You'd kill Itachi in a second."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I'm not joking around."

Naruto shook his head. "Neither am I. Every ninja has ideals he'd give his life for. Look at the Sandaime… he died to cripple Orochimaru and save the village. And he died happily. For you… you'd give your life killing Itachi. And if that means that I'd lose my life too… to rid the world of that stupid monster… I'd die with a smile on my face, same as the old man."

Sasuke looked over at Naruto with disbelieving eyes. There was maturity in those crystal eyes he had never seen. "Well… you might be willing, but I refuse to let anyone die on this mission of mine except for me." He hesitated, then reached into his backpack, pulling the thick scroll from the bottom of the pack. He unfurled it, and by the crackling firelight Naruto could barely make out strange glyphs surrounding the one thing he did recognize… the Uchiha family crest. Sasuke sat on his knees before it, lighting a bowl of incense. "Every night, I commune with my ancestors. I ask them for the strength to carry on with my mission. All of them are there in the afterlife… waiting for me." His smile was darker than night. "All of them… except one."

Naruto rubbed Sasuke's shoulder before kneeling beside him. "And together… we'll send him straight to Hell."


	6. Chapter 6

Naruto brooded. Dinner had been eaten in a rushed silence, before Sakura had quickly outlined her plan for the night. They would split into two groups, one which stayed by the fire, one for back up in case of an attack a distance away. Unsurprisingly, Sakura and Sasuke were the group away from the fire. He had wanted to object… to come up with a reason why the grouping should be different. But as he pondered for a reason, Sasuke grunted agreeance and even Hinata had been so forward as to squeak her approval of the plan.

He wanted to be happy for Sakura. She had finally gotten what she wanted, and it honestly warmed his heart to see her smiling brighter than she ever had. But the loss was a festering wound, and each brush of her fingers against Sasuke's shoulder, each warm look, was salt ground into the hurt. There was no anger, no target for him to lash out at… only grieving pain.

Hinata dug a small hole to bury the discarded fish bones, casting a sidelong glance at her sole companion. She had never seen him so… quiet… like the flame of his happiness had been smothered. He noticed her glance, and she hurriedly turned away. "Um…" she mumbled softly. She saw him opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. His eyes fell back to the ground, the same ground he had been studying for the last ten minutes. She ached… he was her bastion of warmth, the boy who could smile and laugh even when so people hated him. But what could she do to cheer him up when she couldn't even muster the courage to speak his name?

Eventually he found his own voice, breaking the uncomfortable stretch of silence. "So what's your favorite food?" he jabbered, the words spilling over each other in a tumbling rush.

She blinked. "Um… red bean paste."

Naruto grinned. "Really? Mine's…"

"Ramen." she said in unison with him, offering a shy smile.

He looked confused. "How did you…"

"I watch… I see you eating at Ichiraku's ramen stand all the time."

The implications of that small phrase rang through his head. Even though he knew Hinata vaguely as a classmate, this conversation had felt like an introduction of sorts. But she had been watching him… all this time. Where had he been? What had he been doing until now? He flashed her his normal, cheery smile. "Yup… the old man's ramen is the best in the village." She smiled shyly with him. "But…" he traced aimless patterns in the soft earth in front of him, his eyes downcast. "Hinata-chan… why did you come with us?"

Her heart tightened in her chest. "I wanted…" Her throat closed up, the words unable to come any more. She weakly pulled out her jar of medicinal paste, pointing towards it.

He looked at her doubtfully. "Because Sakura-chan told me…" He scratched his head in embarrassment. "Well… it doesn't matter." A long pause. "Do you really… like me?"

Her eyes widened. "Umm… well…"

He watched her silently as she cupped her head in her hands. "Its okay… you can say it, Hinata-chan. I know what everyone thinks of me. The names they call me."

She uncovered her face in a panic, shaking her head. "You're wrong. Not everyone calls you names, Naruto-kun. I know what its like… to be lonely."

He looked at her in the firelight, a faint smile on her visage. What was it that made him look at her differently now? She hadn't changed any… and yet he felt a yearning for her. "Look… I think…" He swallowed bitterly. In the end… any feelings he had for Hinata were only because of the rejection from Sakura. A rebound of sorts. He wanted to forget that all and take the ivory skinned girl into his arms, hold her close, feel her warmth, and pretend her hair was pink. But thoughts more mature than he wanted to hear wouldn't let him. "I think I need to be alone."

Hinata could have cried. She had cried over much smaller things before, certainly. But instead, she gave him an unsteady smile and nodded, moving over to the opposite side of the fire from him. She curled up into a fetal position, rocking back and forth with her hands locked over her knees. For him… for him she would hold back her tears.

-----

Sakura laid herself down right next to the prostrate Sasuke, leaving barely an inch between them, prompting one of his closed eyes to open a bit and giving her an amused half smile. "So Sasuke-kun… how'd I do during the battle back there?"

He grunted. "Alright I guess. I could have handled them myself but… you were slightly helpful."

She smacked his shoulder. "I finally got to save your sorry butt." She smiled coyly. "It felt kinda good."

He nodded slowly. "I suppose I should thank you. If you hadn't interceded… I would have had to use…" He shrugged. They both knew the dormant power he would have had to expend. She wrapped her arms around him awkwardly, pressing them together. He squirmed in her grasp, pulling away. "Sakura… chan." Her heart skipped a beat with the new affectionate addition to her name. "We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow…"

She pulled back a little and put on her best pouty face. "I don't know when we're going to have another night alone together, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura could swear she could almost see his cheeks reddening in the soft moonlight. "I don't really… know…" He sighed. "What do you think this is, a vacation? We're on a mission to kill my brother." She looked back at him, her expression an unyielding pout. "What do you… what are you asking me to do?"

She grinned. "Nothing." She drew him into a kiss, feeling his resistance break down as he melted into her grasp. "Nothing at all…" Her hands drew his shirt up over his head, leaving it discarded in the grass. She rose up to her knees, sliding one leg over him and kneeling over his as she kissed, running her hands through his silky, raven hair. His hands caressed her cheeks, and she caught each hand by the wrist and gently pinned them over his head as they twined their tongues. After the pink haired kunoichi pulled back for a moment, her lover realized his vulnerable position and tried to break her hold.

Though he was physically stronger than her, her advantageous position and gravity were on her side. His arm muscles strained, and his body bucked into her straddling hips, making his arousal obvious even through the multiple layers of clothing between them. He strained with all his might, gaining an inch off the ground, before his strength gave out. He lay panting beneath her, a single rivulet of sweat streaking down his cheek. His smile was sardonic, his voice filled with mock anger. "Consider yourself lucky, shinobi. No one has ever been able to get me at such a disadvantage before."

She clicked her teeth together with playful menace. "I'll agree… I'm very lucky." She bowed her head to trace her tongue along his neck before gently nibble on his earlobe. "And now… what to do with you?" she purred. "I wonder…" Her teeth left small love bites down his shoulder, and her kisses made a wet trail down his smooth chest. Even when they dropped low enough to the point where she was forced to relinquish her grasp on his wrists, he didn't make an effort to escape. Her fingers traced along the edges of his pants, letting the first digits slip under the waistband. Her heart hammered as she hesitated on the brink of doing what she had been planning on for some time. All those novels she hid from her parents under her bed would finally pay off.

She pulled his boxers down, examining her prize with a mind half full of scholarly analysis and half girlish awe and curiosity. She took him into her mouth delicately, letting her lips trail over his ridge before licking around his head with her tongue. She was rewarded with small sounds of enjoyment from Sasuke, gentle gasps of pleasure that she had never thought him capable of making. The initial tenseness of his frame relaxed into the loose posture of someone not worrying about how their body is positioned, concentrating only on the pleasure. Closing her eyes with a smile, she encircled his shaft with her thumb and forefinger, stroking him in synch with her head movements. He propped himself up on his elbows for a moment as she opened her eyes. Their gazes met, his unrepentant awe, hers smolder seduction. His elbows slipped through the dirt, landing his head back on the ground. She grinned, increasing her pace, enjoying herself immensely. As time passed, his hand shakily stroked through her hair, and he murmured praise to her name in a quiet, breathless voice. To hear him reduced to a quivering reverence by her ministrations, made her redouble her efforts even more. When he could stand no more, he pulled her head up violently, and they crushed a kiss together he came. He gasped wordlessly into her mouth, wracked by the throes of his climax.

His chest still heaved as her slick hand was slowing in its movements. She was still watching his face… his eyes still unopened from when they had clenched shut in his ecstasy, his brow stippled by beads of perspiration, his breathing ragged. He cracked his eyes open, looking into her facing over his. "That was… amazing." He managed.

She felt herself blushing fiercely, wiping her hand on her dress. "Anything for you Sasuke-kun." And she meant it too.

He drew his pants back up, buttoning them shut. His arms clasped behind her back, holding her to him, and he rocked back and forth, feeling her breasts pressed to his chest through the soft fabric of her red dress. "Thank you… Sakura-chan. For everything."

-----

Naruto opened his eyes slowly as the dawn light broke his troubled sleep. He pulled himself to his feet, kicking at the smoking firepit absently, walking over to wake Hinata. He hesitated when he reached her, watching her eyes twitch behind her eyelids, her fragile chest rise and fall. He felt the longing seize at him again, and swallowed. Shaking his head to clear it, he wandered over to the general direction of Sakura and Sasuke's camp.

There was a finality to seeing their sleeping forms. Sakura's dress' straps drooped from her shoulders, and her grinning face was nestled on Sasuke's lean, bare chest. Sasuke's face, a peaceful expression on his features, rested in the pink hair. He waited for something to hit him… envy, fury, panic… but he only could feel a dull loss.

He trundled back to his own sleeping area, dropping to his knees next to Hinata. He tried to form words, words that might stem the hurt from what he said the night before, but nothing came to mind. None of his normal ways of dealing with pain would work; he wanted to smile, to laugh, to make boisterous jokes, but the weight on his heart wouldn't let him.

Hinata's eyes opened slowly, woken by Naruto's very presence rather than noise or light. She smiled gently, an expression she had never had the courage to show him before. He gazed back at her, his troubles breaking up somewhat, and he eased into a natural expression himself.

"It's dawn." he managed to say, not wanting there to be silence, but not knowing what else to say.

"The start of a new day." she agreed meaningfully in a voice thick with sleep, turning to glance at the rays of sun broaching the tree line.

"Do you think... people ever get a chance to start over?"

Hinata kept her eyes locked on the sunlight, contemplating Naruto's uncharacteristically phillisophical question. "Sometimes, yes. When old lives have set, and new ones begins... people can start over."

Naruto scooped dirt up in between cupped hands, watching the fine grains pour through the small gap he created between his palms. The dirt cascaded down, pouring onto the ground and creating a raised ridge on the ground. "And do you think our lives have set?"

She turned back to him, her lips pursed. "Someday, I want to return to Konoha. But... for now, I want to travel around the world, training and learning, and return home. When I come home, I will prove to everyone that I deserve the position I was born into." She blushed furiously after letting that all out. It seemed silly, in a way, even to her. She had very little talent, and even less force of will to back it with. True, she had always wanted to change herself, but confessing all of this aloud, where someone could hear her and make fun of her...

"Wow." That was Naruto's only reply for a long moment. Hinata's heart pounded like the wings of the hummingbird as she watched him contemplate her confession. Finally, he turned to her with a grin. "That's really something. I hope you can do it."

"I... I hope so too Naruto-kun."

"And..." he rose, holding out a hand to help her up. She accepted it graciously, standing and watching his expression. "Maybe I can help you along the way."

He didn't wait for her to respond instead turning and heading off to the stream they camped by, presumably to catch breakfast. She watched him walk, her eyes following him until his orange jumpsuit was out of sight.

"I hope so too, Naruto-kun." she repeated finally.


End file.
